DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai’s airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, already can feel surreal, with its cavernous duty-free stores, artificial palm trees, water cascades and near-Arctic levels of air-conditioning.

Now, the key east-west transit hub is rolling out another addition from the realm of science fiction — an iris-scanner to verifies each traveler’s identity, eliminating the need for any human interaction when entering or leaving the country.

It’s the latest artificial intelligence program the United Arab Emirates has launched amid the surging coronavirus pandemic — contact-less technology the government promotes as helping to stem the spread of the virus.

But the efforts also have renewed questions about mass surveillance in the federation of seven sheikhdoms, which experts believe has among the highest per capita concentrations of surveillance cameras in the world.

Dubai’s airport started offering the program to all passengers last month.

Travelers step up to an iris scanner after checking in, give it a good look and breeze through passport control in seconds.

No longer needed here: paper tickets or unwieldy phone apps.

In recent years, airports across the world have accelerated their use of facial recognition technology to move passengers more quickly to their flights.

But Dubai’s iris scan is a step up from the more commonplace automated gates seen elsewhere, authorities there say, connecting the iris data to the country’s facial recognition databases so passengers need no identifying documents or boarding pass.

They say the unusual partnership between long-haul carrier Emirates, owned by a Dubai sovereign wealth fund, and the Dubai immigration office integrates the data and carries travelers from check-in to boarding in one fell swoop.

“The future is coming,” said Major Gen. Obaid Mehayer Bin Suroor, deputy director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs. “Now, all the procedures have become ‘smart’ — around five to six seconds.”

But, like all facial recognition technology, the program fuels fears of vanishing privacy in a country that has faced international criticism for targeting journalists and human rights activists.

According to Emirates’ biometric privacy statement, the airline links passengers’ faces with other personally identifying data, including passport and flight information, retaining it for “as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.”

The agreement offered few details about how the data will be used and stored beyond saying that, although the company didn’t make copies of passengers’ faces, other personal data “can be processed in other Emirates’ systems.”

Bin Suroor said that Dubai’s immigration office “completely protects” passengers’ personal data so that “no third party can see it.”

Without more information about how data will be used or stored, though, biometric technology raises the possibility of misuse, experts say.

“Any kind of surveillance technology raises red flags regardless of what kind of country it’s in,” said Jonathan Frankle, a doctoral student in artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “But, in a democratic country, if the surveillance technology is used transparently, at least there’s an opportunity to have a public conversation about it.”

Iris scans require people to stare into a camera. They have become more widespread worldwide in recent years as questions have arisen over the accuracy of facial recognition technology. Iris biometrics are considered more reliable than surveillance cameras that scan people’s faces from a distance without their knowledge or consent.

Despite concerns about overzealous surveillance in the United Arab Emirates, the country’s vast facial recognition network appears to be expanding. Last month, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also is Dubai’s ruler, announced without giving any details that the country would begin trials of new facial recognition technology to cut down on paperwork in “some private sector services.”

During the pandemic, the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai has advanced an array of technological tools to fight the virus in malls and on streets, including disinfectant foggers, thermal cameras and face scans that check for masks and take temperatures.

The programs use cameras that can record and upload people’s data, potentially feeding the information into the city-state’s wider biometric databases.

Kamran Jebreili / AP

Read More

I have always been close with white women. Not casual “Let’s grab a coffee and catch up” (but only sorta meaning it) relationships. These are friendships of serious connection — in some cases, we’re like sisters. These women have, for the most part, fit seamlessly into my diverse circle of mostly Black girlfriends. Despite our different ethnic backgrounds, we share similar upbringings, educations, interests, and ambitions.

My very first white friend grew up in the house next door and taught the super-indoorsy me to climb trees while simultaneously fostering my obsession with the Nutcracker. And I met the woman I call SuperAce when we were in our crazy 20s working in politics. She inadvertently gave me mononucleosis during our daily ritual of a shared bagel and coffee. I have loved these women just as much as I’ve loved the women of color who also embrace my quirks and strengths and appreciate my saucy humor and unwavering loyalty. Our racial differences are obvious yet not obstacles.

Eleven years ago, I moved back to the Midwest from Houston. That’s when my relationships with white women changed. I’d lived in 10 cities in 10 years and had developed close relationships with women of many shades. I figured Chicago would be no different. I was so wrong.

When I had my baby girl the day after my 41st birthday, I needed a new community. My handful of existing friends in Chicago had already raised their babies and were wrestling tweens and teenagers. I pushed my daughter’s stroller around my mostly white North Side neighborhood — to the park and coffee shops and grocery stores. I joined local mom groups and invited complete strangers to my house for playdates, but those requests were largely ignored. And I felt like an outsider among the few mom friends I’d managed to make.

I’ve learned I’m not the only Black woman who has arrived in Chicago and struggled to find common ground with white women — who in some cases have never spent much time around Black people. I don’t talk about race with them for fear of putting myself in that awkward situation the Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times critic-at-large Wesley Morris describes as the “trapdoor of racism,” in which a “slip of the tongue” that’s “not always anticipated” pops up like a hormonal pimple: ugly and painful. It’s happened more times than I care to remember. So I’ve kept these women at arm’s length, and they, gathering without me to support each other as they navigate new motherhood, have done the same. It has been lonely.

That’s in part what inspired this look at Black women and white women (and one nonbinary person) who are the closest of friends: I wanted to understand how these duos met and how they sustain relationships in a notoriously segregated city. I asked them about how being of different races has informed and affected their friendships. Their answers, for me, were unexpected: like the baby boomers who have strikingly similar backgrounds despite growing up in a deeply segregated society; the white mom who has been intentional about living in Black neighborhoods; and the childhood best friends who were never afraid of discussing race because of their shared faith.

JAQUIE & REGINA

Regina McGraw

70, Arcadia Terrace (right)

Jaquie and I met about 10 years ago through a mutual friend who set us up on a blind friend date because he knew we would connect. The three of us went to a restaurant. We instantly clicked: We have both dedicated our careers to advocacy and community organizing, and we make each other laugh. I know, for example — and this isn’t a true concern — that if the FBI showed up at her door and said, “Regina’s a terrorist,” she would say, “Go eff yourself.” That’s my criterion for friendship.

One of the reasons our friendship has worked is because I’ve really been intentional about learning about racism and have not thought, Oh, it’ll just come to me. I am aware her experiences are going to be different. When we were in Prague, we came out of the subway and the cops stopped us to see if we had our tickets stamped. It was one of those things where I wondered if they treated us badly because Jaquie was Black.

I remember the first time Jaquie told me about her son, Langston. Here’s Jaquie, this woman I love, whose 19-year-old son was shot in 1995 while helping his friend move, and I will never look at gun violence the same way. Of course, I knew that the killing of young Black men was a horrible, horrible thing, but I had thought about it in a general way. With Langston, I had a picture in my mind of this handsome young man being murdered, and it just magnified the horror.

When people you love have experienced systemic racism in various ways, there’s no way you can just sit back and watch it happen. It’s the injuries that people of color face on a daily basis that just wear away the soul. They are like bruises. Bruise after bruise eventually is going to affect how you view yourself and the world.

Jaquie Algee

69, Roseland (left)

Regina and I aren’t timid. We have the kind of relationship where we can always say what we feel, especially about race. We live in very different neighborhoods. Mine on the South Side is primarily Black, hers on the North Side is not. But when she asked me during the uprising last summer if I was hearing gunfire and helicopters, I didn’t take offense to it because I knew she was asking out of concern for me, not just lumping my neighborhood into one filled with violence. I might not have felt that way if someone else had asked me.

One day I was at an event and heard two Black men discussing systemic racism and listing a litany of reasons Black-on-Black crime occurs. The lack of jobs, education, good housing. After a while, I’d had enough. I told them my grandparents had come to Chicago uneducated and they worked themselves up to have a decent life. I told them that what’s missing is the moral fabric, and there’s no reason why we should have our kids out here getting killed, like my son, because someone doesn’t have a good school to go to or they don’t have a job. The men didn’t want to hear that. Later I was still upset, and I told Regina and I figured she would agree with me. I had to explain to her that while I understand why those young brothers feel that way, I’m still not condoning violence. And Regina, being white, didn’t understand those men in the same way I did, and she and I talked about it.

She listens and has opinions when we talk about race, which I’m open to. I know I can talk to her about anything — politics, my frustrations with white people, my frustrations with Black people — from an honest viewpoint. I think there’s a divide between whites and Blacks because both sides create that. You have to tear down those barriers. Regina and I are an exception to the rule.

MOLLY & CHI

Chinyere Nwosu

32, Humboldt Park (right)

I was at a party at Indiana University with my friends and we saw this cute little baby-blue cabriolet with a white stripe. I remember thinking, like, Whoever’s in that car, I need to know them. It was Molly.

When I was in my 20s, I came out to Molly as gay, and she was like, “Dude, that’s dope.” With my Black friends and queer friends, who are mostly people of color, I feel like I’ll bring up specific race stuff that I know they will understand because it’s an experience that we share together. So I think that maybe lightens the burden on me and Molly’s relationship because I don’t depend on her to be the outlet for that. We can just kick it and have a good time.

I taught Molly a few things about Black culture, like my experiences with getting relaxers or being friends with somebody who was a little bit lighter skinned. I would talk about the different dynamics that would happen when you go to the club, how guys want to dance with the pretty light-skinned girl. I didn’t quite fit in with white kids. I didn’t quite fit in with Black kids because I was like a weird African girl. I think Molly understood because she would ask me questions, really try to gain a deeper understanding.

She’s also really clear about when she doesn’t understand something. We were watching trash TV, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and Kim was glammed up on screen, with her baby hairs laid as part of her look. I laughed and remarked that baby hairs are a tinge appropriative. Molly asked for more detail, and I explained to her the history of Black hair in this country and the pressure to adhere to a white European aesthetic, “neatness” and professionalism, and my interpretation of what “laying down edges,” or “baby hairs,” means beyond just the look. I also explained that when a Kardashian has her baby hairs done, it becomes a fast-fashion trend that often ignores the deeper conversation of history, access, and visibility. Molly doesn’t ask questions like strangers do, where the expectation is for me to be the educator. I know her heart, and we share knowledge equally.

Molly Sanford

30, Humboldt Park (left)

After I gave Chi a ride in my car and we hung out, they scribbled their name on a piece of paper and left it on my fridge, like it was a one-night stand. I told my boyfriend, “I met my best friend last night.” The next day, Chi came over, and we’ve been so close ever since.

When I was 21, I got pregnant, and moved to Chicago, with no family, to be near my daughter’s father. Chi moved here to be with me and basically helped me raise my daughter from the time she was 1 year old until she was 4. Chi’s family is having trouble accepting them as queer, and my family has completely embraced them. We spend holidays together. I can just be who I am.

There was this moment where we were hanging out with some friends and I was the only white woman there. The Black people kind of went on a tirade about white people and how annoying they are. And I was thinking, This is what it’s like for them? Wow. I felt left out or maybe embarrassed, you know? And I felt kind of ashamed, like, I’m so white right now in this room, which I think is probably a really frequent experience for a Black person in this country. Chi and I have had great conversations about race: Some things they’ve had to accept and some things I’ve had to accept. When we’re together, it’s just us and we don’t think about it.

MICHELLE & EMILY

Michelle Burgess

43, Austin (left)

We met about eight years ago at Suder Montessori Magnet Elementary School in the Near West Side. I remember walking up to Emily on the playground and starting a conversation. There was something about the way she talked and the passion in her voice that drew me. We said, “I’d love to get to know you more.” And so we built upon that and used after-school playground time as ours to talk.

I remember telling Emily I am a stay-at-home mom, that I’ve got three young children, and she said, “I don’t normally meet Black women who are stay-at-home moms.” I shook my head and said, “Yes, my husband, their father, is actively engaged in their lives.” It was an aha moment: I realized that I am what some people would think is an anomaly.

Emily and I began having very deep conversations, not dancing around race. But a relationship like this is not for the faint of heart. As a Black woman in America, as a deep-pigment-skinned woman in America, as a woman, period, in America, I’ve had to fight to get my voice heard. We would be talking, for example, in the hallway at school, and certain parents, even teachers, would approach Emily and acknowledge her and want to know her opinion, and they would ignore me, despite me being the head of the Parent Teacher Association. Emily recognizes when this happens and immediately begins to include me in the conversation.

I’ve always felt ignored by society — especially by white people. So when Emily would not respond to my calls or texts, I called her out on it. I needed her to be more attentive in our communication. There was a learning curve for her to understand that because she is dealing with someone who is African American, it is going to require more sensitivity and thought.

Being a Black woman is like walking through a path of half-dried cement. Everything takes a tremendous push because my voice has been muffled. I didn’t want to have to do that with Emily. Conversations with white people can be awkward and sometimes intense. But Emily would ask me very straightforward questions. It was a matter of just questioning each other and giving space for answers and not judging. My greatest gift from Suder was Emily.

Emily Fong

45, Bronzeville (right)

Michelle is just a really effusive person. She’s engaging and loving and kind, and she wants to help everyone feel like they belong. I’m a little more gun-shy when it comes to making friends, so Michelle has this knack for pulling out of me a desire to build friendships with people. She and I talk about things as humans, but there’s also the fact that we are from two different socially defined race groups. That difference informs our friendship in countless ways.

Let me explain. I don’t intentionally “ghost” people, but I am an introvert. Sometimes I just feel overwhelmed and pull back, or I will even go through times when I have no contact with anyone. Michelle told me it hurt her, and that she was imagining me being in touch with the white people we knew more than I was with her. It doesn’t even matter if she can logically think it through and be like, Well, Emily is telling me that that’s not true; she treats everybody that way. It still sometimes triggers painful experiences: All her experiences with white girls, and white women as she got older, were informing how she was seeing that. She was being really honest with me about it and told me, “I know that maybe this isn’t just me, but it still hurts me.”

And it has changed the way that I interact with her. It made me aware of the fact that I needed to know that every little decision I made or anything that I do in this friendship can be defined by the trauma that she’s been through. Because our friendship is so important to me, it was significant for me to put what she was saying to me first. I wouldn’t necessarily do that for anybody, but I would do that for sure for Michelle.

BRIDGET & JOCELYN

Jocelyn Reynolds

38, Northbrook (right)

Bridget was my very first friend. We don’t remember not being friends. I lived on one block in Glencoe, and she lived on the next. Our parents were friends, as we were both raised in a Baha’i household — my parents moved to the North Shore to work in the U.S. Baha’i National Center. I was raised in a household that was passionate about the Black-white issue. In the Baha’i faith, we believe that we are all one people, all one humanity.

For our entire lives, when we are together, sometimes people have looked at us with disapproval, like, What are those two doing together? And for us, it’s like, What is your problem with it? Eighteen or 20 years ago, we were downtown at a restaurant eating and someone passed by us. I don’t remember the comment, but it was like they were disgusted seeing us together. It’s not as if I don’t think color matters. But in the end, we are both human beings and spiritual beings, and Bridget is like my sister. I don’t know anything different. Despite her being a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman who doesn’t look like me, we’ve always loved each other. In this country we need to see these relationships like they are normal.

The only challenge we sometimes have is understanding one another’s experiences. There may be something I find challenging around being Black, and she may not completely understand it. But she’s not like, “I’m uncomfortable with this conversation because I don’t understand it.” It’s like, “OK, tell me more about it. Let’s start.” When we discussed my anxiety and fear about my son living and going to school in Northbrook and possibly being the only Black child in his class, she didn’t initially understand. I explained to her that teachers might not give him the attention he needs, try to put him in lower-level classes even if he excels, or treat him differently for negative behavior because he’s Black. She had empathy because my son is special to her too, and she would never want him to have those experiences.

Bridget Mora

37, Jefferson Park (left)

Jocelyn — I call her Ja — and I laugh because when we go out, we see and talk about how people react to us. We get funny comments sometimes, but good ones for the most part. People will just say, “Now that’s a beautiful thing.” [Laughs.] A lot of people have an appreciation of seeing Black and white together. I feel like it’s not a big deal.

I can remember from my youngest age her discomfort in some places. We didn’t talk about it, but I just could see it. Like even getting in the car going to school, because we’d carpool, I could sense it. And it just seemed like a sad feeling.

Jocelyn is kind, loyal, forgiving, patient, thoughtful, beautiful, positive, fun, loving, giving, an incredible mother, and a true friend to me. She knows me and has been there for me, and she will always be there for me. I know I will always be there for her too. We have had a bond of love since before we can remember. She is family to me, like a sister, even though we don’t talk every day.

It really upsets me [begins to sob] that she has to worry about her 6-year-old son for something he shouldn’t have to worry about. I worry about how my kids do in school and if they’re going to make friends, but when you have to worry about how someone’s going to treat your child, you just know there’s a lot of pain in the world.

Read More

Chicago Bears: It might be smart to avoid going for Russell Wilson by Ryan Taylor

Chicago Bears: Russell Wilson’s list now down to three teams by Vincent Parise

The Chicago Blackhawks have had a lot of great moments so far this season. They are playing better than expected and a few different Blackhawks have reached some pretty awesome milestones. Well, there is another milestone to behold in tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars. Patrick Kane is going to play in his 1000th career game. They all happened to come with the team that drafted him first overall back in 2007. It has been quite the journey for number 88 and it is going to be fun to celebrate him.

This game will be played in Dallas and it is the first of six straight on the road. As a result, the Hawks won’t be able to honor his 1000th until they return but it will be worth the wait. Those are special nights as a fan because so many memories are attached to his legendary career as a Blackhawk. These milestones keep getting more and more impressive as he builds on a Hall of Fame legacy.

Kane will become only the seventh player in the history of the Blackhawks to reach 1000 games. He is nine games away from catching Bob Murray’s sixth place record of 1008 games. He is 379 games away from catching Stan Mikita for the most in the history of the team. He has quite a lot of hockey to play before he reaches that milestone but he absolutely has a chance to get there.

Just a couple of games ago, Patrick Kane scored his 400th career goal. He also has 660 assists for 1060 points which is the fourth most in the history of the team. So far this season, he is second in the league in scoring with 38 points (11 goals and 27 assists). In addition to all of the statistics and accolades, he has matured into one of the leaders on the team. This is a guy who is the complete package when you think of offensive players.

Hot: Kirby Dach is on his way back to the Blackhawks

In the 1000 games, he has earned some personal awards. We all know about how much playoff success he has had with the three Stanley Cups and Conn Smythe Trophy. His regular-season play has been just as excellent as you can tell by the stats. It has earned him an Art Ross Trophy, Calder Trophy, Hart Trophy, and a Ted Lindsay Award throughout his career. All of this warrants extra celebration for a player reaching 1000 games. This isn’t just your durable above-average player. This is a legend in the history of Chicago sports.

Read More

Chicago Blackhawks: Patrick Kane is set for his 1000th game by Vincent Parise

The Chicago Bears have been in the Russell Wilson rumor mill for a few weeks now. We don’t know for sure if the Seattle Seahawks are actually going to trade him but it would be nice to see the Bears finally get that franchise guy after 100 years of having the wrong guy. The impact that this guy would have on this city both on and off the field would be as big as any athlete ever. The Bears were on his list of four teams that he would go to if he had to leave the Seahawks.

The Chicago Bears road to Wilson might have just gotten a little easier this week.

The future Hall of Fame Seahawks quarterback named the Chicago Bears as a team he would go to in addition to the New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys. Well, the Cowboys are officially out of that sweepstakes as they finally inked Dak Prescott to a new deal. It is a long complicated deal that is going to make him a very well-paid quarterback. Adam Schefter has all of the details of the deal on his Twitter.

We wondered if that deal was ever going to happen. It has been a topic of conversation in the football world for over a year now. It would have made a lot of sense to trade Prescott and then go trade for Wilson. Instead, they signed him and pretty much took their name out of the hat.

As for the other three teams, the Saints feel like the most likely (besides the Seahawks). Drew Brees hasn’t announced his retirement yet but it sounds like it could be the case. They have Taysom Hill there and could be bringing back Jameis Winston but Wilson would be a great fit if they really wanted to go in that direction.

The Raiders have Derek Carr there ready to go in 2021. He isn’t a superstar or anything like that but you can win with a quarterback like him. If the Raiders keep him, that pretty much leaves the Bears. There are rumors that the Bears are actually pursuing this and see it as one of their main priorities.

Related Story: The Chicago Bears should risk it all for Russell Wilson

There have been some other reports out there that Wilson is intrigued by the Bears for a variety of reasons so you just never know. With the way things are going, this is starting to get exciting. The Dak Prescott news is good news for Bears fans as of right now.

Read More

Chicago Bears: Russell Wilson’s list now down to three teams by Vincent Parise

Next1 of 6Prev post

Use your (arrows) to browse

Chicago Bears (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

What some might have thought as impossible and just a pipe dream may soon happen, as the Chicago Bears eye Russell Wilson in a trade.

A couple of months ago, there was no way the Seattle Seahawks would ever consider trading Wilson. Mentioning such an idea might get you virtually stoned on social media. Why would the Seahawks trade a quarterback who has never missed a game in nine years and led them to two Super Bowls?

Wilson is easily a top-5 quarterback in the NFL and arguably a top-3 passer. Still, we live in a reality that sees the Seahawks fielding calls for their Pro Bowl quarterback. It still seems surreal.

The Bears were even one of four teams mentioned by Wilson in his preferred destinations, should he be traded.

For the past week, the steam has picked up. Rumors and reports are flying around and catching on like wildfire. Bears fans are eating it all up, as they should be. This franchise has been starved of a quarterback like Wilson for their entire history. Never have they seen a talent like Wilson under center. This would be a truly historic move.

If the Bears were able to land Wilson, they’d likely give up this year’s first rounder accompanied by a major haul for the Seahawks including future picks and players. With that in mind, Chicago would be looking to further surround Wilson with the right pieces in later rounds.

Luckily, there are some highly talented players who would fit in well with the Bears and Wilson under center. These guys can also be found later than Round1, and maybe even further down in the draft.

Next: 1: Nico Collins

Next1 of 6Prev post

Use your (arrows) to browse

Read More

The Dingers crew discuss the hot start of Nico Hoerner, answer the question: “Can you have too many quality starting pitchers?” and a lot more on Episode 30 of the Dingers podcast!

The post Dingers- A Chicago Cubs Podcast Ep.30 He-Man and the Masters of Spring Training first appeared on CHI CITY SPORTS l Chicago Sports Blog – News – Forum – Fans – Rumors.Read More

Blackhawks: Three risky trades to make with Nashville Predators by Vincent Parise

Another unsuccessful Chicago Bears season could lead to a domino effect for an effective Bears rebuild.

Bears fans have gotten excited recently for the Russell Wilson trade rumors and rightfully so. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN had some excellent news for Bears fans to relish about.

“I expect the Bears to at least take their shot here,” said Fowler on SportsCenter. “A source told me Russell Wilson likes that they have an emerging offensive line, a good solid offensive-minded coach in Matt Nagy, and they have an intriguing market in Chicago.”

Bears fans should be excited about the rumors. They should also be prepared for the Seahawks to do everything in their power to keep their star quarterback from demanding a trade. Russell Wilson is an MVP-caliber quarterback and the Seahawks are not going to take his situation lightly.

If missing out on Wilson were to happen, the Bears would be stuck going through the regular names of free agency. I’m talking about Sam Darnold, Alex Smith, Marcus Mariota, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mitch Trubisky, and Nick Foles.

But I ask you — is that so bad?

Would it be smart for the Chicago Bears to have a losing season in 2021?

The Bears’ strength of schedule is the third most difficult in the NFL. The upcoming Bears’ opponents for the 2021-2022 season had a win percentage of 55.3 percent last year.

“To make matters more complicated, every non-division road game will come against a 2020 playoff team, including the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” according to Nathan Smith of the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have their struggles in the schedule next year as they will be taking on teams from the NFC West and the AFC North next season. We already know trying to win the NFC North would be difficult enough with a strong Bears team. With a mediocre free-agent quarterback, that task would be extremely difficult.

For the sake of hypothetical, let’s say the Bears sign an average/below average quarterback in free agency and the Bears end up with a losing record. Then what happens? First, it’s important to remember that Head Coach Matt Nagy’s contract ends next year. With that, General Manager Ryan Pace clearly got some type of extension because his contract ended this past season.

The rumor is that Pace got a one-year extension to line up with Nagy’s contract. So, per George McCaskey’s vague ultimatum (explained he needs to see improvement next season in post-season media session), Nagy and Pace should be on the chopping block with a losing season.

Bears fans are no stranger to wanting three-year head coach Nagy gone. With a 28-20 total record, two first-round playoff exits, and hosting a serious downfall after being Super Bowl contenders in 2018, it makes sense for them to be on the hot seat.

Pace has made a plethora of poor management moves that have put Nagy in horrible positions. It starts and ends with trading up in the 2017 NFL draft to take Mitch Trubisky instead of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Without going any further, you get the point. Now let’s tackle the next domino which is the 2022 NFL Draft.

Are the Chicago Bears going to consider a full-blown rebuild if they are bad in 2021?

Sam Howell is certainly a great start. Try not to get scary flashbacks with taking a quarterback out of North Carolina but Howell had a great sophomore season completing 68.1 percent of passes (15th in the NCAA), 3,586 yards (fourth in the NCAA), 30 touchdowns (sixth in the NCAA), and throwing only seven interceptions. He recorded a 179.1 passer rating which ranked eighth in the country.

Another idea would be Spencer Rattler out of Oklahoma. He had similar numbers to Howell as he recorded a 67.5 percent completion percentage, 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his sophomore season.

Related Story: Chicago Bears: This is what the Seahawks want for Russell Wilson

I won’t go deep into prospects, but you get the idea. Wilson or no Wilson, the future of the Bears could have a positive side with a losing season next year.

Read More

Chicago Blackhawks News: Kirby Dach is close to returning by Vincent Parise

Next1 of 4Prev post

Use your (arrows) to browse

(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks are in the position that the Nashville Predators thought they would be in and the Predators are in the position that the Hawks thought they would be in. It is truly remarkable how different these teams are right now. The Blackhawks have been better than them in every way. Right now, it sounds like the Predators are going to be shipping out some players as the season goes along as they try to retool their roster.

The Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators would make good trade partners.

Nashville has come a long way (in a bad way) since being the Stanley Cup runner-up in 2017. They produce defensemen like a factory but for some reason have had a tough time over the last few years. Ever since they hired John Hynes to be their coach, they have taken a deep dive towards the bottom of the standings. Now, it would be wise for them to make some moves.

Some people might think that the Blackhawks and Predators would never be trade partners but that just isn’t true. Stan Bowman (GM of Chicago) and David Poile (GM of Nashville) have made trades with each other in the past. To name one, you might remember when the Hawks sent Ryan Hartman and a 2018 5th round pick to Nashville in exchange for Victor Ejdsell, a 2018 first-round pick, and a 2018 fourth-round pick. That is a massive trade by today’s standards in the NHL.

The Nashville Predators don’t have anyone of a Jack Eichel caliber on the block right now but they do have some players who can help the Hawks young players gain some playoff experience. If they wanted to add some help, one of these three trades might make sense:

Next: LW Help

Next1 of 4Prev post

Use your (arrows) to browse

Read More

The CNN report came out Monday.

Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance Jr. has subpoenaed documents from an investor that provided a loan Donald Trump’s company used to build the Chicago skyscraper that bears his name, according to a CNN report published Monday.

Late last year, Vance issued a grand jury subpoena to collect information from Fortress Investment Group related to the $130 million it provided the Trump Organization to build the Trump International Hotel and Tower, according to CNN, which attributed the report to sources.

The skyscraper along the Chicago River, built on the former footprint of the Chicago Sun-Times building, was completed in 2009.

By 2012, Fortress forgave more $100 million of the loan to secure a partial repayment of about $45 million amid a financial crisis in the real estate market, according to CNN.

Prosecutors in Vance’s office are looking into whether Trump and his company reported the loan forgiveness as income and paid taxes on it, as required by law.

The subpoena is part of a continuing financial fraud investigation into the ex-president that’s probing whether lenders or insurance brokers were misled about property valuations.

Alan Garten, the general counsel for the Trump Organization, declined to comment, according to CNN.

Garten previously told The New York Times that the company and Trump paid all taxes on forgiven debts.

The issue was first raised by New York Attorney General Letitia James last fall when her office disclosed in a court filing that it was investigating whether Trump and the Trump Organization recorded the forgiven amount as income and paid taxes or whether there was some explanation as to why that wouldn’t be required, according to CNN.

Read More

Moon Alert

After 1:45 a.m. Chicago time, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Aquarius.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Things are a bit delicate dealing with friends or perhaps a group. You might suddenly have a difference of opinions about money or a possession. You definitely have strong feelings about something, that’s for sure. Someone older or more experienced might throw some shade on you. (Whaaat?)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Be careful dealing with parents, bosses, teachers, VIPs and the police because this is a tricky day. Authority figures will probably come on heavy. And yet, you might have a strong reaction. Don’t be lippy. Don’t do anything you will regret. Stay cool.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

You have lots of energy because fiery Mars is in your sign energizing your ideas about race, politics, foreign issues, religion and anything to do with the law as well as medical matters. However, you might feel hemmed in by rules and regulations.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Something unexpected that affects your financial arrangements with someone or perhaps something to do with shared property, taxes, debt or insurance might catch you off guard. You might have to pay the piper. Probably, discussions will be volatile.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

A close friend or your partner might surprise you in a way that really makes you react. Perhaps you feel hemmed in by having a limited choice about something. You want to rebel against this situation but perhaps you can’t? A friend might help you.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Certain issues with your job are a bit difficult today. Something will happen, perhaps unexpectedly, that restricts your situation or your range of activity. Nevertheless, you have strong ideas about what you want to do. As Bruce’s grandmother used to say, “Wantin’ ain’t gettin’.”

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Parents might have difficulties dealing with kids. Meanwhile, support situations and social events will suffer from sudden changes and restrictions. This is an accident-prone day both in terms of sports and your kids, so be vigilant. Pay attention to everything you do.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Your home routine will be interrupted because someone might rebel against rules and regulations. People feel feisty today. Although you might get the practical and financial support you want to do something, someone else might object. It was ever thus.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Be mindful and alert today because this is an accident-prone day for your sign. You will encounter new faces, new places, new ideas along with new restrictions and different ways of doing things. Don’t succumb to fear and anxiety. As Mark Twain said, “I had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You might feel some kind of a financial squeeze play today. In fact, something unexpected could affect your money or your possessions, so keep your eyes open to guard against loss, theft or damage. Fortunately, any loss will be minimal.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You are high-energy because the moon is in your sign dancing with fiery Mars. This makes you energetic and proactive! You might also feel rebellious (more than usual). Whatever happens, you can’t ignore the reality of a situation today. It is what it is.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Today you might be dealing with situations taking place behind the scenes. Things might be beyond your control, which is why a surprise might catch you off guard. Someone older or more experienced might be calling the shots, which means you have to follow along. You can do this to keep the peace.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actor Matthew Gray Gubler (1980) shares your birthday. You are a creative, artistic person who truly cares about others. Wonderful news for your new year ahead! This is your time of harvest, when you will start to reap the benefits of the seeds that you planted in the last decade. You deserve this time of success! As a result, you might enjoy increased influence and leadership in all your relationships.

Read More